Wilder: Ran's fate
by Abrahel
Summary: Hello there, this fanfic is based on Wilder, an otome game by the hand of sonnet009 (you should play it). I intend to create an alternative story to Ran's life in the case the MC chooses a different path. I hate the idea of Ran being alone for the rest of his life, so I decided to give him happiness with someone else, rather than the MC. Expect romance, angst, 18 and some action.
1. Chapter 1

**Chapter 1**

Ran could not believe he was going to get caught in a sandstorm. In all his years in the dessert, he always knew how to navigate through it to avoid this kind of situations, and for some reason, it felt like if he was walking in circles, which made no sense.

The storm was getting closer by the minute, adrenaline pumping into his veins, desperation for finding refugee growing stronger. He wasn't carrying much with himself since he fled from Ziya after the Shah's murder. He knew he was being search, and the lighter he travelled, the better.

Or that's what he thought, when he was sure he would never be about to get killed by a sandstorm. Right now, all he wanted was a thick mantel that would give him enough protection to survive until all this stupid disaster passed. But oh, didn't the world hate him with all its passion.

Still, he would not give up, he kept walking, hoping to find a way out. Breathing was proving more difficult, as the sand started to get into his lungs. At this moment he knew his only chance was to get to the ground, cover his head with the little clothing he was wearing and hope for the best.

* * *

-Asir! Where are you, boy?

Zaira was coming back from the city where she used to trade, almost home, when her dog decided to jump from the cart, ears pointing east.

He was a curious dog, and he liked exploring the dessert, trying to give hunt (and failing) to the little creatures going around, but he would never, ever, go away from her sight. And for more than she didn't want to admit how worried she was getting about her missing dog, Zaira jumped from the cart, and started to walk in the same direction, while calling his name. She walked for a couple of minutes, when she heard his bark.

Of course, the bark was away from the route, and _of course_ , it was on the other side of dune. She started to go up the cursed dune, with all the effort that came with it. With red cheeks and ragged breath, after three attempts at climbing the dune, she finally succeeded.

-I swear to god, Asir – she said while finally going to the other side, barely able to breath -, if you don't have a good reason for this, I'm going to tie you to the -.

Zaira didn't finish her sentence, as what she saw let her speechless. More than half way into the sand, and albino djinn laid unconscious. Asir gave a proud bark, followed by a tail wagging so fast, that it became a blur. Shocked, she kept looking at the djinn, not getting closer than strictly necessary.

A djinn. Not only that, but an _albino._ Apart from the obvious colour of his hair and skin, his broken horn was distinctive. Zaira, who was still on her knees, moved a bit closer. His skin was burnt, with blisters starting to appear in his forehead, nose and cheeks. His lips, completely chapped. Holding her breath, her hand moved until almost touching this highly dehydrated djinn's face, stopping merely inches away. Taking her hand and closing it into a fist, Zaira stood and looked at her dog with her eyes hard and resolute.

-Asir, this is not our problem. We are leaving.

As soon as she turned around, the whine from her canine companion made her close her eyes, breath, turn around, and open her eyes to find his dog lying next to the djinn's face, ears down, using the biggest puppy eyes this world has ever seen.

-Asir, no.

Another whine was his answer.

-I said no – she said, crossing her arms-.

This time, her dog didn't only whine, he also started to drag in her direction. Feeling her defences crumble before this master of manipulation, she closed her eyes again, decided to not give in. A gentle touch on her leg made her open her eyes, just to look at her companion there.

-Goddammit! Fine! If he kills us when he wakes up, is on you, you damn dog.

Taking a small shovel from her hip, she started to dig enough for her to tie him under his arms and around his chest. Taking the ends of the rope, she tied one end to herself, and the other to Asir.

-Ok boy, we pull when I say so, alright?

Barking happily, the canine looked at her waiting for her command.

Taking a deep breath, she said.

-Pull!

It was hard to pull a body that was buried so deep in the sand, especially when you don't have solid ground to hold yourself to. But they moved a few inches.

-Good boy Asir! Again, pull!

The resistance started to become less and less, sweat going down her forehead and getting into her eyes. They kept pulling for some more seconds, and finally the djinn was out. Resting on her hands on her knees, she cached her breath before turning around. And _obviously,_ he was pretty much _naked_. Eyes wide open, she covered her face, probably not as quick as she should of. Actually, if she was being honest, her eyes _might_ have lingered a tiny bit on places they shouldn't. Putting herself together, she has a look at his ragged clothes. They were covering the most important parts, but barely. Taking the cloth protecting her head from the sun, she used it to cover his intimate parts. Not that he cared, being unconscious. But still, she had some minor decency.

After securing the cloth, she took her abaya and used it to cover his whole body. The quickest way to her cart was sliding down the dune, and his skin was bad enough to just let the burning sand do more damage. Sitting on the edge she held him from his armpits to pull him between her legs. He was hot at the touch. She knew djinns were hotter than humans, but the skin of this one, probably because of the sun, was almost burning to the touch, even though the clothes. When he was finally secured, she kept her eyes looked in the bottom of the dune.

-Alright Asir, here we go.

And with that, she pushed herself down the dune. Everything was going smoothly, if you ignore the fact her whole back was getting burned with the sand, of course. Finally, they reached the bottom, and whistling, she waited patiently for her camel to appear.

Patting the camel on the neck, she said sweet words to her while she greeted her with soft touches of her head.

-Yes, I'm happy to see you, Sira – with a short laugh, she patted her some more before starting to pull the djinn, who was way heavier than he looked, into her cart. Once he was safely in the cart, protected from the sun, she continued her way home.

* * *

The first thing he noticed, was that there was no sandstorm, the second, he was terrible thirsty, and the third, that when he tried to move, he couldn't. Eyes opening, he looked down, to find himself in a single bed, _tied_ to it. He pulled his wrist, but he was much weaker than he thought.

-You are just going to harm yourself.

The voice, a woman's, was coming from behind. Pulling more fanatically and starting to growl, he tried to get loose. But it was pointless, he was just too weak.

-Yeah, I sedated you. So, you can save it.

Coming into view, a young woman, around her twenties, was looking at him. Her brown hair was tied in a braid, with some free curls on the sides of her forehead and around her face. Her tan skin created a big contrast with her green eyes, long black eyelashes around them. Her cheeks, covered in freckles. And her lips, full and dry from the sun. Next to her, a massive dog. His fur had a sandy color, with the ends of his ears black, as well with his paws and tail. His chest, white colored. His tongue was hanging from his mouth, and he had a curious expression on his face.

Looking at her in the eyes he just kept growling and trying to set himself free.

-Listen, I mean you no harm, if I did, I would have let you in the dessert.

Not listening to her, he carried on, feeling his wild blood running stronger in his veins.

-Why don't you calm down for a second so I can give you some water. You are highly dehydrated. I have treaedt the blisters in your skin, but you need to drink.

Stopping his thrashing, he seemed to calm down for a second, noticing for the first time the cool creamy paste in some areas of his body. Controlling himself, and after the first moment of shock before this situation, he decided that the wiser train of action was to play along. If he what she said was true, and it looked like it was, he was sedated, and therefore, not strong enough to scape or, for what is worth, fighting that dog if he needed to. He tried to speak, but with his dry throat, the only thing that came through was a scraping sound.

The woman took a chair and placed next to his bed. Moving slowly, she sat down, taking a clay jug from the bedside table, and a small cup. Pouring water into it, she moved closer to him.

-Just don't – she stopped to look for words -. Don't bite me, please.

She fixed her eyes on his, like trying to judge if it was safe to move that small distance. He could sense the faint sensation of fear, which, in his opinion, was a wise response. When she lain in closer, with clothes gently brushing her skin, the soft smell of desert rose reached his nose. It was a pleasant smell. One he liked more than he expected, so much more that, for a second, the only thing he wanted to do was to press his nose against her neck and breath in. Frowning, he pushed the thought away.

Her eyes moved from his eyes to his lips, terrible dry. Moving closer, she pressed the cup against his lips, lifting it slowly as to not make a mess with the water. The fresh water touching his lips felt like a blessing from the gods. His dry mouth was in ecstasies. But way too soon, he drank all of it.

-More – he managed to say-.

Filling the cup again, she repeated the process.

-I will give you more later, you have to drink little by little or it will make you sick.

They stood in silence for a minute, just looking at each other, measuring one another.

-My name is Zaira.

She waited for a few seconds, expecting a name in return, which didn't happen.

-Do you have a name I can call you with? - she asked rising one eyebrow-.

Another few seconds of silence went before the djinn answered.

-Ran.

Nodding, she relaxed a bit.

-I'm sorry for the tying and sedating thing.

It didn't look like the apologise worked in the slightest. More minutes of silence passed by, broken by him saying.

-Why.

Confusion crossed her face.

-Why what? Save you from the desert or tying you?

-Both.

-Well, about saving you, you should thank Asir – she said as she petted the massive dog's head -. I was coming back from the city when he smelled you. He run through the desert and I couldn't just leave him there. When I finally found him, you were half buried in sand. I guess you got caught in the sandstorm –biting her lip, she added -. To be honest with you, I was going to leave you there, but my dog convinced me otherwise -she stopped talking, obviously thinking about something else-. As for why I tied you and sedated you. I live alone, far away from civilization. As far as I knew, you could have been a wild djinn recently turned into a slave, judging your bracelets. I wasn't taking any risk with you waking up and killing me.

If Ran was younger, or more innocent, he would have been hurt over someone that thought him to be a mindless beast. But he wasn't young, or innocent, anymore. He was bitter with this world, especially bitter with humans, like _her._ The fact that she thought that he might kill her after she saved his life was something that didn't bother him anymore. He was used to human expecting the worst from him.

In the silence, he kept observing her, how she looked to the floor and bite her lip again. He had already noticed how she did that every time she wasn't sure about what to say. When she moved, he didn't expect to be released. Her slander hands worked fast on the knots that tied him to the bed going down to her ankles first. He stood immobile, not wanting to ruin his chance by scaring her. Her fingers untied the last knot, and then she moved to the wrists to help him make the rope loose.

Faster than she could have ever imagined, he pulled her under him and into the bed, pushing her hard with his own body and weight. Her body was the body of a woman that does a physical job, hard but still soft around the hips and legs, remaining in a feminine shape. Her heartbeat was strong against his own chest, her breathing accelerating. Ran growled more than spoke.

-Why shouldn't I kill you.

Shallowing before talking, she said in a low tone, slightly shaking.

-Because I am trusting you not to. Now that you are awake, you don't seem like a murderer to me.

He was trying to stay focus on the moment, but the sedative was working better than expected. He was still strong enough to subdue a female human, but not for long. Also, the lack of food and water wasn't helping at all. Still showing his teeth, he lain closer to her neck, brushing them against the softness of her skin. A shiver covered Zaira's skin, and the smell of desert rose was intense. It was intoxicating. He stood there for a few minutes, immobile, with her as still as possible. It was then that through the fog that invaded his brain, he noticed the huge dog next to him. He moved to the side, freeing the woman, and, even if he wouldn't admit it, feeling slightly disappointed when her scent went away. A scoff scaped his lips. Still with ragged voice, he said.

-Your dog was just waiting your command to jump on me, wasn't he?

With a slight smile she said.

-Maybe.

-Why didn't you?

-I didn't treat you fairly – she said with shame painting her face -. And for that I apologize. Besides –she added with a smile-. I was serious when I said you don't look like a murderer.

His lips were tightly closed, and she assumed the conversation was over for now. He looked trouble, looking at the celling, so Zaira thought better not to push it.

When she stood and walked to a stand on the other side of the room, Ran moved his eyes to keep watch on her. If he didn't have her body under his just a moment ago, he would not be able to tell the nice shape of it under her sky blue abaya that move loosely around her. Her braid was long, reaching her waist. He thought that loose, it would go down to her hips, probably brushing against the top of her –" _wait"_ \- he thought. He felt drawn to her, and for experience, he knew that was a dangerous feeling. Adverting his eyes from her, his eyes explored the room.

It was small, simply decorated, the bed he was laying on, with cotton sheets and a thick fur cover on his feet. Next to the bed, a small table with water, in the middle of the room a small table with two chairs. Next to it, a small fire place was burning. The floor was stone, same with the walls, except they were covered in clay that needed to be repair in some spots. The walls had as well a nice design going all the way around. A small window was in front of the bed. From his point of view, he could see the sun was coming out, with the sky still dark with traces of orange on it. He noticed that there was no door, instead, a wall with a hole shaped like a door dividing the room in two, and in the far corner, stairs going down.

Zaira had cut a piece of one of the plants in the stand and was back with it. Without exchanging any words, she put some of the white translucent substance the plant was suppurating on her finger and move close to his lips, but without touching, as if waiting for permission. When he looked at her and didn't move away, she gently spread the cool substance on his lips, which felt instantly better. It was sticky, and had an odd smell, but sit was fresh and protected his dry lips. She lingered on his mouth for longer than necessary, her finger moving along his bottom lip, non-of them moving from the contact. Why Ran didn't move, he could not understand. Maybe it was because he was starved from that kind of contact, maybe is because his brain was too slow to think with clarity. But the fact was, it felt good, and for that single moment he indulged in the sensation, just for a moment.

When Zaira noticed how long she had been putting aloe vera on his lips, she retracted her hand into a fist, mumble an apologise and walked away. She was half way downstairs, only her torso on his sight.

-Rest for now, I will prepare you something to eat and wake you in a couple of hours. If you need to use a bathroom, is just in the other room. I cleaned most of the dust yesterday, but I can prepare you a bath later, if you want to wash by yourself.

With that, she disappeared down stairs, the dog following her. Carefully turning around, he rested his head in the pillow, the smell of desert rose on it. He doubted for a moment, conflicted with himself. Reason told him to not let his guard down, to stay alert no matter what. Trusting other had just pull him into a miserable life, and he wasn't stupid to not learn from his mistakes. He was stuck here, for now, that didn't mean they had to be friends. But another part inside him, a part he thought was long dead, was flickering somewhere inside his troubled soul. And that part was the one that wanted to dug into the smell of that woman, to hold it close.

Giving in the temptation, he grabbed the pillow and press his face on it, breathing in deeply and letting the sweet smell surround him. For a second, he felt besotted. The next second, something inside him snapped. With a growl, he through the pillow away from him and turned around, using his arm as support for his head.

He wasn't a little boy in need of love anymore. He would stay for as little as necessary for him to recover, and then he would disappear in the middle of the night without warning. You can't trust humans, no matter how nice they look, as soon is between you and them, they will kick you to the wolves and run away without looking back.

Being alone was the only way to stay safe.


	2. Chapter 2

When he opened his eyes again, the sun was far gone, and the only light in the room was coming from the fireplace. Next to his bed, a plate of fresh fruit, goats cheese, bread and a hot tea to wash it down. Sitting on the edge of the bed, and finally feeling stronger, he examined his own body.

His skin was getting better, the smell of some plant he could not identify on himself. Whatever she was using to help his body heal, was working. He did still feel weak, the lack of food hitting his energy levels. A faint sound was coming from downstairs, but nothing he was interested on at the moment. Grabbing the plate of food and the drink, he sat on the table next to the fire and started to eat and think what he would do as soon as he felt better.

His first thought was to take as much food and water as he could from this place, and then run away. That is the clever choice, he said to himself. Also, he would need more clothes, since his were nearly destroyed after the sandstorm. It still bugged him how he got trapped in it, but there would be other times to think about it. Finishing his meal, he noticed he needed to stretch his muscles after who knows how much time lying in bed.

Zaira had left some clothes for him. A pair of shoes, a cotton thobe and wool thawb to wear in the cold of the night. Looking at it, he found himself feeling conflicted emotions. On one side, he _hated_ the idea of just being there, dependant of a human. Just the thought of her thinking, even for a split of second, that she had any kind of control over him, was enough to make him retreat his lips and growl. His knuckles went even whiter as his fist tightened around the fabric.

 _No one_ had any control over him, not anymore. Now, he was free, he _was_ free.

And still, a small part of him, felt warm at the idea of her going through the effort of finding clothes for him. Exhaling, he let go of the clothes and started to get dress. The cotton felt clean against his skin, and the thawb kept the warmth inside. He decided against the shoes, they were restrictive, in his opinion.

He was about to go downstairs when he looked at his empty plate. Frowning, he went back to grab it. People might think him to be a savage, a wild djinn, be he _did_ have manners. At least when he wanted to show them.

The stairs were dark, but there was enough moonlight coming from the small windows. As he went down, the faint noise he heard before became stronger. The hallway had some candles on the walls, enough to have some light and not trip with the furniture. Close by, orange light from one of the rooms, washed the floor on the hall. Stopping before coming in, he moved his head to point his good ear in the direction of the sound. It was Zaira, humming a traditional song that mothers would use to shoo their babies. Strange. For a second, he thought she might have a baby, but his smell told him for sure that there was no one else living in this house. He heard some movement from inside the room. The sound of a book closing, a blanket being push to the side and steps coming.

Zaira appeared from one of the rooms, a blanket over her shoulders, with her dog close by. When she saw him, a smile crossed her face.

-Ran, you are awake. Asir heard something and I was coming to check on you – grapping the blanket around her, she added -. How are you feeling? You had a fever for the last two days and haven't wake up until now.

-I feel better.

-And... anything else? - she said when he didn't say anything more-.

-My body aches, I need to move.

-Of course. Come, let me show you the way.

Walking through the house, Ran started to talk.

-Have I really been out for two days?

-Yeah, I was starting to get worried, to be honest.

Silence followed.

-You should grab something else, you will get cold outside – Zaira added as she put a thick coat around her-.

-I'm a djinn.

-So?

-So stop asking stupid questions and let's go – he pointed with a frown an pushing past her and through the door-.

He stopped on his foot immediately. They were in the middle of an oasis he had never seen before. Mouth opening, he could not believe he never knew about this place after six years living in the desert.

Zaira stood next to him and said something he could not hear with his deaf ear. Not like he cared, anyway. All his focus was on the scenery around him. Even at night, the moon and the stars provided enough light to see the place. Green, it was all he could see. Green all around. The ground under his feet was consistent, with grass growing more and more as it got closer to the lake that dominated the view. Of at least four miles long, moonlight reflecting on the still waters. Trees grew around the lake, some of them bearing fruit. A small garden was next to the house, where some vegetables were almost ready to harvest.

-I don't understand. How could I never know about a place like this.

The woman said something else, not noticing Ran could not hear her. And to be honest, Ran wasn't speaking to her.

He started to walk completely ignoring her. His steps were fast, his muscles aching with relief. The night was cool, and...

-Hey! - Zaira said while slapping him in the shoulder -. Stop ignoring me.

Turning around with a growl, he grabbed her arm. He was pissed, but so was she. Both frowning at each other and not stepping back, Ran finally moved her to his other side.

-That left is useless, use the other one – a snarl following this-.

Surprised, she wanted to ask what happened, but decided to bit her tongue, just in case. They kept walking in silence, but Ran could feel her curiosity and her internal fight to not ask. And it was annoying. _Very_ annoying.

-It was the last merchant that sold me.

She was so immersed on her thought, that the sound of his voice startled her. Knowing what the djinn was talking about, the young woman asked.

-What happened...?

-Who knows. Probably gave him a look he didn't like. I don't really remember. If I try, the only thing that comes to my mind is him beating me in the face with a stick. My ear has been useless ever since.

When Zaira opened her mouth to say "I'm sorry", she closed it and decided it wasn't a good idea.

-A shame I didn't get to kill him before I fled.

-I agree.

This time, he was the surprised one. Stopping on his steps, he looked at her.

-Do you, really?

-Well, of course I do – eyebrows rise in disbelief-. What kind of person do you think I am?

-A human. That's always enough.

-Well, you are wrong –crossing her arms and then opening them, embarking the oasis-. Why do you think I live here, Ran? In the middle of nowhere? The world out there is rotten, I rather expend the rest of my life here, alone with my animals, than in a city full of slaves.

-Of course, what matters the most to you, are the slaves, right? -sarcasm filling his voice-.

Biting her tongue, she turned around back to the house. Not waiting to see if he follows. After advancing a few yards, she stopped to look at him.

-C'mon, I'm going to show you something just to shut that mouth of yours.

Curiosity picking on him, Ran decided to follow.

Zaira wasn't happy with the situation. She wanted him to know that she did care about djinns. For some reason, she also wanted him to trust her. Not like he had any reason to do so, considering the little they knew about each other, but, _still_ , she wanted it. Trying to ease the heavy atmosphere, she joked.

-I don't even know why anyone would try to make a slave of you. You are clearly way to stubborn for it. Probably the worst slave anyone could have.

Ran laughed. And honest, light laugh.

-That is probably true.

They kept the rest of the walk in silence, but this time, it wasn't uncomfortable. When they walked in, she took him to the same room she was before, and when the djinn followed her in, he could not hide the surprise. A library. It wasn't big, but every little ounce of space, was occupied with a book.

Zaira didn't noticed his surprise, as she walked to the fireplace to make the remnants of a flame into a proper fire.

As she did this, Ran grabbed one of the oil lanterns still lit, and started to read the titles of the books. It had been so long since he had the chance to read a book. Every genre was here. History, geography, astrology. Also, novels to entertain the reader, legends, fantasy, _romance_ , blushing, he kept looking, but oh gods, wouldn't have been better to stop at romance. Full on erotica was there, too. He thought that before, he was blushing, but now his face felt as hot as the sun.

-Ran? Are you ok, your face is really red. Is your fever back? - she sounds concern as she approaches him-.

Moving quickly away from _that_ section, he cleared his throat in a poor attempt to look casual.

-Yes, I'm fine.

Still dubious, she got closer to touch his forehead. In another situation, he would have move back with her attempt to touch him, but he was too flustered to be fast enough.

-Um... you are hot, but you are not sweating – touching his chest and arms, she added -. The rest of your body is cold... Are you certain that you don't feel any worse?

-Oh yes, very certain.

-If you say so... But please, do tell me if you think you are not recovering properly.

-Mhm.

Giving him another look that just made him more uncomfortable, she stopped pushing the subject.

Anyway, come here – Zaira said, taking a big oil lamp and placing it on a desk on the side of the room-. Have a sit please.

Next to the desk, there was a bookshelf full of old tomes. Some of them were wrote on the old human tongue he never got the chance to learn. She grabbed two that looked, at least, a few centuries old. With utter care, she placed them down and took a sit next to Ran. On the side of one of the book, he read " _Archives of Clan Sarham; VI-VII"_. Opening it from the index, he had a look before she found the right pages. _"1. Djinnsah Arlhan" "2. Djinnsah Arlhan and the alliance", "3. The union of Djinnsah and Sarham"._ Djinnsah Arlhan, being djinnsah the word that meant "clan" in the djinn tongue, was one of the most ancient djinn clan to ever exist. What was this about? Moving the pages, Zaira stopped at _The origin of Djinnsah Sarlhan._

 _-_ These books tell the story of my ancestors. For centuries, we made sure to keep writing our history here. This tome tells the biggest moments of the VI and VII centuries. Almost eight centuries ago – pointing to one paragraph, she started reading -.

 _After years of successful trading and good relations with the Djinnsah of the river, we finally achieve what our Clan always dreamt of. Djinns and humans always lived isolated from each other, at peace, but in two complete different worlds. Today, this change, today, we celebrate the union of the Arlhan of the river and the Sarham of the desert. Today, our clanes are united, today, with the marriage of the Arlhan leader and my daughter, Arisa, the Djinsah Sarlhan is born._

The next pages described the preparations for the wedding, the rites that would be created for this new clan. Ran was shocked before this revelation. Closing this book, she took the second one. This one, dating only four centuries ago.

 _"The War of Ziya"._ Ran knew this period of time. It was the time when humans and djinns went to work, with the final defeat of the last ones and the start of the slavery of djinns.

-I know this, I don't need to revive it- Ran said, not wanting to fester on the painful reminder of the fall of his people-.

-But you don't know the all that happened there. What my clan did, how this place was created.

With this, she opened the book, and started to read once more.

 _We are losing the war. Soon, we will be defeated, the rest of our people scattered and haunted down. Almost all our Djinnsah is either dead or captured. Our magic is not enough to stop their numbers, all the human slaves are fighting for their masters with the promise of freedom. They say how, if they win this war, humans will not be slaves ever again. We are desperate and running out of options. Our High Priestess has come with a way to create a Safe Haven for our people, but the cost will be high. In exchange for this safe place, we will have to give up magic. Forever._

Zaira moves the pages.

 _After long consideration, we choose to do it. Tomorrow we will start our way into the dessert and start the preparation for the ritual. If everything goes according to our theories, we will create a new oasis warded with magic. Anyone who gets close, will unconsciously turn in a different direction. The only way to get here, will be to know beforehand where you are going and keep the image of the oasis clear in your mind. We hope this will be enough to keep unwanted attention away from us._

She closed the book and looked at him. Both of them in silence. Ran was feeling confused. All this information was against everything he thought he knew. But he knew it was true. It also explained why he got trapped in that sandstorm. He was probably walking in the direction of the oasis, and he just kept walking in circles due to the magical protection. Which just lead him to have more questions.

-I would like to read these books.

-You can read? -eyes wide open-.

He felt offended, even if it was a logical assumption that, as a djinn, he wouldn't have the ability to read.

-Yes, I can read.

The look on his face made her know that it was best not to ask how he did learn.

-Can I read them, then? -he asked after she didn't answer his question-.

-Oh, yes, of course you can, Ran, you can help yourself with anything you'd like.

After sleeping for two days, you would think he would be fully recovered, but to his dismay, he wasn't. That short walk was enough to make him tired. Zaira stood, placing her hand on his shoulder. He was only wearing the cotton thobe she gave him and could feel the heat of his skin through the fabric. Their eyes locked into each other, both their mouths slightly open. Slowly, Ran lift his own hand and placed her over hers. It was the first time that they touch each other without aggression or a medical reason. And the sparks of energy between them were becoming more intense. Her smell became stronger on Ran's nose when he moved her hand closer to his face, tenderly massaging her knuckles. Before either of them noticed, Ran was on his feet, face to face with her, closer than he should.

Then, Asir barked, and both of them jumped and give a step back. Refusing to meet gazes, she went to the door while Ran was holding his weight on the desk.

-I-I- I'll – clearing her throat to stop herself from stuttering any further -. I'll go to get you something to eat, and then you should rest. You can keep the bed upstairs if you want.

* * *

Running away, she went straight to the kitchen, followed by a happy Asir who thought was going to get a treat. Rubbing his head and neck, she calmed down.

-Thank you, boy. I think you deserve a treat, what do you think.

Opening a scuttle, she started to pull a piece a robe. At the end of it was a jar full of lamb meat, kept at the bottom of this pit to keep it cold. Grabbing one of the half legs, she gave it to Asir, who quickly grabbed it in his mouth and took it to his spot in the kitchen, where he started to happily eat it.

After this, she took the remnants of a lamb stew and started to heat it up. Setting a table for two and making it a hot drink that would help both of them to sleep, she went to look for him.

* * *

Ran was surprised that she kept forgetting that he would always know where she was if she was close by. Her smell was so unique that he could tell it apart from anyone else. Still, he pretended he didn't know she was on the other side of the door, her heart racing, taking a step to then take it back. To be honest, he needed a minute himself. What happened before, he could not understand. This time, he wasn't drugged, this time, he didn't have an excuse for his behaviour. He felt drawn to her. He thought he had learned his lesson in the past, but clearly this wasn't true, as his only desire was to go to that door, pull her in his arms and kiss her. He wanted to push his mouth on hers and taste her.

But still, he could never trust her. He had known others like her before. Humans that were sympathetic with djinn, and every single one of them, choose themselves before Ran or any djinn. And it wasn't even a decision for their lives, Ran would never blame someone for choosing their own survival, but this people, they betrayed him only for their convenience, because it was easier to have him punish or even sold, than accept the slightest problem in their lives.

And he knew that if faced with the same problem, Zaira would choose herself.

He needed to remember that all the time, otherwise, he would fall in the temptation, then he would get attached to her. And her feared that if that happened, the moment she betrayed him, he would kill her and lose himself forever.

His thoughts were interrupted when the young woman opened the door.

-Food is ready.

Still, she would not meet his eyes. Probably ashamed of herself. Getting up, he followed her to the kitchen. There, a table for two was ready. Hot drinks steaming in the dark. Sitting down, he observed her going to the fire and taking a bubbling pot. The smell was amazing, and his stomach growled in answer.

A faint chuckle escaped her lips. Filling both their plates and bringing some bread, they started to eat. Ran was hungrier than he would like to admit and finished his food in no time. When he lifted his eyes from the food, he blushed when he saw Zaira's expression while looking at him.

-At least I don't need to ask if you enjoyed it – pointing at the pot, she added with a chuckle -. Feel free to eat more if you are still hungry.

Still slightly red, he filled his plate again, and this time ate with more patience. When they both finished their meal, she said.

-You haven't get clean in... well, gods know. I prepared you a bath on your room. If you go up now it will be hot still.

Surprised with her kindness, he nodded respectfully.

-Thank you, Zaira.

She wasn't sure about it, but she tought this was the first time he called her for her name. She liked the sound of her name on his lips.

-Of course. Now, if you excuse me, I'll go to sleep now, I have a long day for tomorrow, and I need to catch some sleep.

When she walked past him, Ran had to stop himself from grabbing her and pushing her to his lap.

-Good night, Ran. Please come and call me if you need anything, I'll be sleeping in the library.

-Wait. You are sleeping in the library?

-The only bedroom is the one you are using. I couldn't let you on the couch while you were recovering. And anyway, you are my guest now.

-Have the bed.

-No.

-I said have the bed, woman -. Frowning at her, his red eyes became more intense as he stood in front of her.

With her hands on her hips and frowning as well.

-And I said no. Now, cut that attituded and go to have your bath, you stink.

-Excuse me?

-I thought you djinns have enlighten senses, I'm surprised you haven't pass out with your own smell. You can be sure I don't want to sleep in a bed that smells like weeks' worth of sweat.

Offended by her comments, he sniffed himself, and... she was right. He did stink.

-Fine, but tomorrow you are going back to your room.

-I think I can decide that for myself, thank you.

-Phf, whatever.

* * *

The water felt like the touch of heaven. With everything that was going on, he didn't think on his own hygiene for a moment, he was glad he was doing it now. Allowing himself to relax in the hot water, he stood inside until the water started to get cold. Getting out, he dried himself, put some minimum clothes on, and slide under the covers. Suddenly, he remembered something. His eyes locked on the opposite side of the room. The pillow he throwed was still there. Getting up, he grabbed it and put it back in the bed. Closing his eyes, he indulged himself on the sweet smell, and left sleep take him.

* * *

Meanwhile, a wide awake Zaira was moving on the couch, unable to sleep. Looking at Asir, who was looking at her with interest on his face, she asked.

-What am I going to do, Asir?

The only thing she could think about was Ran's hot body against hers. She wondered how kissing him would feel like, and gods, didn't she want to find out. It took every little ounce of control on her to not go upstairs and get in bed with him.

But that would be a terrible mistake. She was sure that Ran would never want anything with her. He hated humans, and that was it. She was surprised he didn't leave as soon he woke. Regardless, she would make sure he knew he was welcome here for as long as he wanted. And this had nothing to do with the fact that she felt attracted to him. Even if she didn't know him at all, she had the feeling that he was a good person, and as any good person he deserved the opportunity to be somewhere where he would not be look down to, just a slave with no sympathy or consideration through him.

At least, she could offer him that.


End file.
